Liverpool senses a Premier League title

Chronicle news services

Published
7:17 pm PDT, Sunday, April 20, 2014

Liverpool assured its return to the Champions League on Sunday, but a much bigger prize is just around the corner.

What was looking like a gripping finale to the Premier League title race is starting to turn into a procession for the Reds after they beat Norwich 3-2 to move five points ahead of Chelsea with three matches remaining.

A first English championship in 24 years is within Liverpool's grasp after the win at Norwich, which was led by Raheem Sterling's two goals and the 30th of the season by Luis Suarez.

An 11th straight league win also ensured that the Reds will return to the Champions League next season for the first time since 2009-10.

It is a tighter race for the final Champions League spot, with fourth-place Arsenal and Everton winning to leave them separated by one point. Lukas Podolski scored twice in Arsenal's 3-0 victory at Hull, and Everton downed Manchester United 2-0 on two first-half goals.

United cannot qualify for the Champions, the first time it will miss the competition in 19 years.

-- Lionel Messi scored on a free kick in the 74th minute and FC Barcelona beat visiting Athletic Bilbao 2-1 to keep alive its dwindling hopes of keeping its Spanish league title.

Elsewhere

Wawrinka beats Federer in Monaco

Stanislas Wawrinka showed that his first Grand Slam title wasn't a fluke, upstaging his more illustrious countryman to win the Monte Carlo Masters.

The Asutralian Open champion came from a set down to beat Roger Federer 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 in an all-Swiss final, another milestone in the late-blooming 29-year-old's career.

-- France completed a 3-2 win over the United States to qualify for the Fed Cup World Group in 2015. It will compete for the Fed Cup championship, while the U.S. is relegated to World Group II.

The French doubles team of Caroline Garcia and Virginie Razzano beat Americans Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys 6-2, 7-5 in the fifth and deciding match of the best-of-five, two-day competition in St. Louis.